Shear flow turbomachinery devices, or simply shear flow devices, include a housing having a chamber that encloses a rotor. The rotor is coupled to a shaft and includes a plurality of spaced apart disks that rotate together with the rotation of the shaft. The chamber of the housing has internal dimensions that closely match the dimensions of the rotor. Shear flow devices include shear flow turbines and shear flow pumps.
In shear flow turbines, a nozzle directs a fluid jet toward the disks in a direction tangential to the disks' edges and perpendicular to the shaft. The fluid jet causes the disks to rotate, converting fluid pressure and flow into rotational mechanical energy.
In shear flow pumps, the shaft is rotated such that the rotating disks of the rotor apply a shear force to fluid within the chamber. The shear force generates a circular flow of fluid that moves outwardly from the shaft due to the centrifugal force. In this manner, a shear flow pump converts rotational mechanical energy into fluid pressure and flow.
Limited commercial use of shear flow devices has been made due, at least in part, to reduced efficiencies compared to other types of turbines and pumps.
Improvements to shear flow turbomachinery devices are desired.